MOSCOW – Russia aims to establish the four-module core of its planned new orbital space station by 2030, as announced by its space agency, Roscosmos, on July 2. The head of Roscosmos, Yuri Borisov, approved the timetable alongside directors from 19 enterprises involved in the project. The agency confirmed plans to launch an initial scientific and energy module in 2027, with three more modules to be added by 2030, and an additional two between 2031 and 2033.
Russia has been a partner with the United States and other countries on the International Space Station (ISS), one of the few areas of close collaboration despite strained relations following its invasion of Ukraine. With the ISS nearing the end of its operational life, Moscow announced plans in 2022 to build its own space station. Initially, Russia stated it would leave the ISS after 2024, but later extended its participation until 2028.
The approved schedule includes not only the design and manufacture of the modules but also flight-testing a new-generation crewed spacecraft and constructing rockets and ground-based infrastructure. According to Roscosmos, the new station will allow Russia to address scientific, technological, national economic, and national security challenges that are not possible on the Russian segment of the ISS due to technological limitations and international agreements.
Russia has a storied history in space exploration, dating back to the Cold War when Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person to travel into space in 1961. However, the country faced a significant setback in 2023 with the failure of its first lunar mission in 47 years, when an uncrewed spacecraft lost control and crashed into the moon’s surface.